'Red State' review

A chilling insight into religious extremism, Kevin Smith's gripping thriller Red State shows that bold narrative decisions and clever twists are far more potent than expensive FX sequences. Made for a measly $4 million, the film boasts a phenomenal performance by Michael Parks as an evil preacher/Richard Branson doppleganger and sublime supporting turns from Melissa Leo and John Goodman.

Smith's welcome foray into the horror genre delights in pulling the rug from beneath the audience's anxious feet, jarringly switching narrative perspectives and refusing to conform to storytelling conventions. The plot starts out straightforwardly enough, as three horny high school boys receive an online invitation for a sexual rendezvous with a supposedly nymphomaniacal middle-aged lady (Leo).

Before long, they have fallen into the clutches of extreme Christian fundamentalists, who wish to rid the world of perceived sinners. Spearheaded by the loony but mesmerising preacher Abin Cooper (Parks), the sect prepare to dispatch the boys to hell in a gruesome manner and everything looks like it's heading in a very gory Hostel-style direction. Then along comes John Goodman's federal agent, armed with enough quirks to make you think he's strolled straight off a David Lynch movie…

Given its subject matter, fans of Louis Theroux's documentaries will be reminded of his creepy exploration into the Westboro Baptist Church and the presiding Phelps family, who are namechecked in the movie. The knowledge that there are people in existence who picket funerals waving around 'God Hates Fags' placards certainly enhances Red State's effectiveness.

Having made his name on the ultra-low-budget Clerks, Kevin Smith's decision to return towards a more guerrilla-style filmmaking is highly refreshing. His relentless close-up framing of Cooper's opening monologue traps the viewer within the character's warped world and showcases Parks's underrated brilliance - which has far too often been relegated to cameo turns in the likes of From Dusk Till Dawn. The editing also adds a frenetic edge to various chase sequences, without ever losing clarity in the process.

While the exposition of religious extremists and their manipulation of scriptures is largely successful, the move towards a political slant in the latter stages is a heavy-handed misfire. Some of the anti-government barbs are preaching to the viewer and seeking to indoctrinate in a manner that Abin Cooper would have been proud of. Or is that perhaps a metatextual point Smith was seeking to make?

A tense journey into the darkness of Middle America, Red State holds the power to both shock and amuse with its increasingly audacious story and strong performances. Although it lacks a killer ending, Kevin Smith's movie is a very worthwhile watch - and best seen within the confines of the cinema. At times it feels like there's no escape from Abin Cooper's grasp in there…